


Imagine an Alien Sister

by miraculousagentsofkrypton



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: 14 yr old Alex, 6 yr old Alex, Alex is Calvin, Angst, Calvin and Hobbes AU, Danvers Sisters, Fluff, Gen, I like to call this my, Kara is 13, Kara is Hobbes, depends on the chapter, kara never ages, they do need to be read in order though for the most part, this is sort of a series of connected one shots
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-11
Updated: 2019-08-26
Packaged: 2020-01-11 06:23:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18424692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miraculousagentsofkrypton/pseuds/miraculousagentsofkrypton
Summary: For as long as Alex could remember, Kara had been there. An older (alien) sister, watching over her always. No one else could see her, and Alex never understood why. She looked and felt just as real to her as anyone else. Her parents thought she was just an imaginary friend, but Alex knew better.





	1. Kal-EL  (6 yrs old)

**Author's Note:**

> (Bold italics for Kryptonese.)  
> This is totally inspired by Calvin and Hobbes. Alex is six years old in the first couple chapters. Every chapter lists Alex's age.

For as long as Alex could remember, Kara had been there. An older sister, watching over her always. No one else could see her, and Alex never understood why. She looked and felt just as real to her as anyone else. Granted, Kara couldn’t touch anything very easily. She had to concentrate, and it tired her out quickly. She never had that problem with Alex though. Whenever Mom and Dad weren’t around, Kara loved to pick Alex up and swing her around like she was flying. And Kara gave the best hugs. Alex was secretly glad she got them all to herself.

But sometimes Kara had to go away for a little while. Kara called them her “wake up” moments. Kara never seemed to like her wake up moments. She was always so very quiet when she came back. No matter how much Alex bugged her, Kara never told her where she went in her wake up moments. Or why she was so sad when she returned.

Every time she would simply say, “I just missed you **_little one_ ** _._ That place doesn’t matter when I’m with you. You push all the sad away. I love you and I’ll always come back.”

That never explained how… sensitive... Kara always was afterward. She’d avoid dark and small places like the plague and spend more time outside. Alex loved preparing picnics for her sister when she returned cause she knew it always cheered her up. She made all the sandwiches herself. She had to ask her Mom for help with everything else though.

Kara never kept being an alien a secret from her. Kara would tell her all kinds of stories about Krypton, their legends, their culture. She even taught Alex the language. She spoke less often about her family, but sometimes she would regale her with all kinds of stories of working in the lab with her father, and of studying the stars with her Aunt. She talked about her mother in a quiet solemn voice, describing her admirable sense of duty and love for the people. And she never once mentioned a cousin, not until Alex met Clark Kent for the first time when she was six years old.

There’d been a knocking at the door, and since Mom and Dad were both busy in the lab, she’d gone to open the door herself. He was a large man, with a quirky sweater, big glasses, and a kind smile. He’d introduced himself as Clark Kent, and started asking after her parents, but Alex stopped listening quickly, because as soon as Kara had seen him, she’d started crying.

“Uncle Jor-El?” The words were whispered, “No. It can’t be.”  Alex watched as she hesitantly walked up to the man. “He has Aunt Lara’s eyes.” Her face scrunched up, “I know it’s been years, but it can’t possibly be… Kal-El?” A hard sob broke through her lips, pure devastation visible across her face. “ _No._ Oh Rao, please no. You’re supposed to be a little child! Not an adult, raised without any knowledge of _home._ ” Kara’s form started to shimmer and disappear as she reached up, as if to touch his face. She was having a wake up moment. Kara started at the sight of her translucent hand. “No, wait! Not now!” Then she was gone.

For all her questions and worry, Alex knew better than to interfere when someone else was around. She so desperately wanted to comfort her sister, and ask who Kal-El was. Someone from _Krypton?_

“ _Alex.”_

The sudden sound snapped her back into focus, reminding her that Clark Kent, or Kal-El, had been talking and she hadn’t heard a word. _Whoops._

“I’m sorry Mr Kent. I was thinking about your glasses. You must have some really bad eyes!”

 Learning to make up random lies on a moments notice had been a necessary skill, when growing up having to hide the presence of Kara. People didn’t appreciate children that talk to thin air and act like someone was responding. Occasional mistakes could be excused by an imaginary friend, but that only went so far, and for so long. Kara always looked sort of uneasy at the idea of using an imaginary friend as an excuse, and often pushed her to be more careful. Alex wasn’t sure they had imaginary friends on Krypton.

Clark gave her an uncomfortable smile, almost nervous at the question. “Haha, um, yep. Almost blind without these things. I was just wondering where I might find one or both of your parents.”

“They’re in their lab.”

“Do you mind showing me the way?”  

“Yes!” Alex squeed excitedly, always up for any excuse to visit the lab.

She lead him into the house, and lasted about ten seconds before the curiosity got the better of her and she recklessly burst out, “Is your name really Kal-El? Are you from Krypton? How did you get to Earth?”

Shock spread across his face. “I- I didn’t realize your parents were so open with you.”

Alex grimaced. _Right. She wasn’t supposed to know anything_. But, apparently she was right, and her parents knew, so she quickly lied, “I overheard them talking.”

A soft smile returned to Kal’s face, and he ruffled her hair affectionately. “You’re a curious one aren’t you.”

Alex smirked. “So?”

He held his hands up jokingly, “Alright, alright. I am from the planet Krypton. My parents sent me to Earth when I was just a baby. Kal-El is my Kryptonian name, but you can still just call me Clark.”

Alex was almost vibrating from excitement. Maybe Kal would tell her something Kara never would. “Why?”

He looked at her confused. “Why what?”

“Why did your parents send you away?”

His smile slipped away. “I don’t know if you’re old enough for that story yet.”

“No.” Alex stomped her foot. “I’m so sick of that excuse. I _know_ it can’t be a happy story if you had to leave your parents. I can handle it.”

Kal looked at her appraisingly, slight surprise and respect on his face, but also apprehension. Alex knew she was going to lose this argument, she always did with Kara, so she grasped her last card, a cute pouty face. (A perfect copy of Kara’s) “You don’t have to tell me everything. _Please.”_

A big sigh. Alex’s hope peaked. He crouched down to her level, and put a warm hand on her shoulder. “Alex, I don’t know everything about what happened. I’m just starting to learn my story myself. But I know my parents sent me away to save me. Something really bad happened, and now I’m the last Kryptonian.”

 _But there’s Kara._ “No you’re not.”

He tilted his head. “What?”

She wanted to tell him all about Kara, and help him feel less alone. But she couldn’t. “You can’t be the last Kryptonian. There’s someone else. I know it!”

She looked at him with wide eyes, hoping to convey her sincerity and give him a little comfort, but he didn’t look any happier. If anything, he looked worse. With dull eyes he said, “I hope so kid, but sometimes things just are the way they are.”

He ruffled her hair _again_ , and headed into the lab that Alex hadn’t even noticed they’d reached a while ago.

She wanted to yell, _I’m not some baby. I know because Kara is Kryptonian. She’s alive._ But she didn’t, because her “imaginary friend” Kara wasn’t supposed to be real. She headed up to their room to think, and wait for Kara to eventually come back.

  


Kara didn’t return for two days. She didn’t start speaking again until the day after that. Alex didn’t mentioned her conversation with Kal-El once.


	2. Getting Hobbes (6 yrs old)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Bold italics is Kryptonese)  
> This chapter is a very different vibe from chapter 1.

The next time Clark visited, he brought a stuffed tiger for her. 

“I heard these were your favorite,” he said, handing the fluffy thing over.

“Thank you! I love it!” she replied excitedly, grabbing the tiger and hugging it to her chest.

Her dad gently nudged her towards the stairs. “Why don’t you go play with your new toy upstairs Alex.”

Alex would have protested him trying to get her away from the grownup talk, except she really was excited to show Kara the cute tiger. Tigers weren’t her favorite actually. They were Kara’s. Kara, who at the moment, had decided to stay in their room for the duration of Kal-El’s visit.

Kara had always been fascinated by earth’s many creatures, and she had read as much about them as she could. Kara had told her that most animals on Krypton had long since gone extinct, leaving behind only the most hardy. One such species happened to be  _ Dragons.  _ Alex thought the idea of dragons was much more fascinating than birds, but she still got dragged into Kara’s enthusiasm whenever she started rambling about this creature or that.

She pounded up the stairs and burst through their door. “Kara! Guess what Clark brought us!”

Kara jumped, dropping the book she’d been reading, and looked towards her with wide eyes. Alex held up the tiger proudly. 

“Oh! It’s a baby tiger!” Kara jumped off the bed and scooped it up, smushing it to her face. “It’s so cute.” She looked at Alex questioningly. “Did you say Kal bought this for you?”

Alex nodded eagerly. “Yup! He bought it for us because he knew one of our favorite animals was a tiger.” Her brows furrowed as she gave it some thought. “Mom or Dad must have told him.”

Kara grinned, shaking her head with affection, before scooping Alex up in her arms as well. “Of course they did. They gush about you all the time. I bet they didn’t even last ten minutes with him before mentioning how smart you are.”

“Nu uh!” Alex protested, smirking, “I bet they didn’t even last five.”

Kara spun them both around, laughing. “You are absolutely right.”

\---

For a long time after, Alex ended up dragging that tiger around everywhere they went. Kara and her still hadn’t come up with a name for it yet and kept debating between Hobbes(Alex) and Zar-Ox(Kara).

One night at the dinner table, her Mom made a comment, “Alex, take Kara off the table. It’s not appropriate to have animals on the table and she’s going to get spilled on.”

_ What? Kara? _

Alex shared a confused glance with Kara, who sat in the “open” seat next to her. She opened her mouth to protest, when Kara’s eyes alighted with understanding, and she shushed her. Alex looked at her in askance.  _ Why did Kara shush her? She’s not on the table. _

Kara quickly explained, “Alex, I think she means Zar-Ox. She thinks the tiger is me, because you keep talking to me with it around.”

Her mom unknowingly interrupted, “Alex. Take the tiger off the table. Now.”

_ Oh. Oooh. _

Once again, she started to protest, but Kara butted in. “Go along with it. This is perfect.”

She didn’t understand how that could be perfect, but she listened to her older sister and grabbed the tiger with a huff, determined to ask later. Dinner passed slowly after that as Alex waited for the chance to talk to Kara, throwing her frustrated looks throughout the whole meal. As soon as their mother dismissed them, she rushed upstairs to the privacy of their room, knowing Kara was soon to follow. When Kara finally walked in, Alex shut the door and turned towards her, putting her hands on her hips like she’d seen her mother do when determined to get her way. “Why’d you shush me?!”

Kara just grinned, sitting down on their bed and opening her arms for Alex to come snuggle on her lap. Alex ‘reluctantly’ did. As Kara wrapped her arms around her, she told her, “Don’t you see? This works in our favor. With the stuffed tiger around, you can talk to me a little more openly without looking super crazy, cause people will think you’re talking to your tiger, not thin air.”

“People will think you are the tiger?” Alex clarified. 

“Mhm” Kara hummed the affirmative.

“And I can talk to you more?”

“ **_Yes little one._ ** ” Kara says in kryptonese.

“Yes!”

Alex jumped right back out of her lap in excitement, dancing around the room with the tiger outstretched. “Thank you Hobbes!”

Kara laughed, “ **_Yes, thank you Hobb-Es._ ** ”

“Hobb-Es. I love it! What would my name be in Kryptonian?”

“ **_You, are Alex Jer-El. Named after your father and my own house since your family has none of their own. You are my sister, and so deserve the honor of my house._ ** ”

“Alex Jer-El” Alex sounded it out, loving the sound on her tongue. She puffed up her chest, proud to be part of the great house of El, like Kara. 

**_“I am Alex Jer-El.”_ **


	3. Schizophrenia (13 yrs old)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Bold italics are kryptonese)   
> By the way, don't take the words of the 13 yr old classmates as fact.

The word in the search bar pounded through her panicking, disordered thoughts. Why was she doing this?

 _I’m not crazy_.

Her thoughts drifted back to the conversation that started this whole thing. She couldn’t recall how the conversation has started in the middle of history class, but she couldn’t forget the words that had sent a painful shock through her system.

She had only been half paying attention, when Tim asked, “Isn’t schizophrenia that thing where someone sees and hears people or things no one else can?”

“I heard schizophrenics are usually like crazy delusional and paranoid.”

_I see and hear someone no one else can. It doesn’t make me crazy… I’m, I’m just special._

Someone else behind her helpfully input, “Yeah man, I think my cousin’s friend had to go to an _insane asylum_ cause he was like, hearing voices and stuff. He had to wear a straight jacket and everything.”

“Wait, are straight jackets even in use anymore?”

“I’m telling you man. He was crazy dangerous or something.”

The conversation had dissolved into an argument about straight jackets for a while, but only one thing ran through her mind.

_I’m not crazy._

Sure, no one else could see Kara, but that didn’t make her a delusion. Kara was real. That was just fact and it wasn’t up for debate. Flashes of the many times she had seen Kara disappear into thin air shot through her mind. Well yeah, Kara wasn’t exactly _normal._ But she was an alien! Aliens have all kinds of weird abilities and stuff… It didn’t matter that Kara didn’t have any of Kal’s abilities and that he didn’t have any of hers, despite being the same species. That was just... chance. That didn’t mean she had to head straight to the library after school to look up the mental illness as if it could possibly have any application on her life.

Why _was_ it that Alex was the only one who could see her? The screen in front of her blurred as tears threatened to spill. Her hands shook as she pressed them against her temples, trying to stop the rising panic. She had no idea where this was even coming from! It’s not like she hadn’t known how strange it all was, that it was something to be kept hidden from everybody, a secret just between Kara and her. She _knew_ people would think she was crazy if they caught her talking to her _invisible sister._ But it always seemed like a sort of fun game, some puzzle to solve, how to work around this or that so she could communicate with Kara in public or help her participate in things. She’d never actually considered that it might all be in her head. That she might actually be- _no._

_I’m not crazy!_

Kara chose that moment to round the bookshelf behind her and started tugging on Alex’s arm insistently. “Alex! Come look! I found the coolest thing.”

Alex let herself be pulled away from the offensive screen with _that word_ on it. It was always easier to avoid fighting with Kara in public anyway, people seeing her fight her own arm would not look good. Kara kept on rambling excitedly about whatever she had found, but Alex paid it little attention. Instead she studied her sister. Her excited grin reminded Alex of a little kid given a stick of candy. She remembered when Kara had seemed so old and mature at 13. Her big sister.  But now _Alex_ was 13. She had caught up and would soon move beyond her unaging sister. She didn’t know if Kara would ever get the chance to grow up.

She thought of history class again. Someone had mentioned how people’s hallucinations often never changed. If someone consistently hallucinated a child, that child never grew up in their mind.  

_I’m NOT crazy._

She pushed the thoughts from her mind. Kara had dragged her to the back corner of the library, where a book lay open on a table. Someone else might have just brought the book to her instead of the other way around, but Kara carrying a book wasn’t an option for two reasons. The first being that a floating book drifting through such a public space tends to draw unwanted attention. The second being that touching and carrying things took energy out of her. That’s why she tended to enjoy books that she could read hands free, except to turn the page.

“Alex!”

Alex started. “What?”

Kara was looking at her with her brows furrowed. “Did you hear a single word I was saying?”

Alex flushed, embarrassed at being caught, and shook her head.

“ ** _What’s wrong little one?”_** she asked, before switching back to english, “You usually get excited about this stuff with me.”

“That’s just it! I’m not your **_little one_ ** anymore Kara. And you’re not my big sister,” Alex harshly whispered, always wary of prying ears, “ We are the same age now, because _you_ never grow older. Why is that? Why are you like this, and why am I the only one who can see you? **_I just need to know I’m not crazy._  "**For some reason it felt easier to admit it when she wasn’t speaking a language no one else could understand.

Kara stepped back in shock. “ ** _Crazy??_** Alex, you’re not crazy. If anyone here is crazy it’s me.” She looked around the open space. “Look we can’t have this conversation in public like this. Let’s just head home. Then we’ll talk.”

* * *

 

Kara’s usual energy had disappeared, and she was silent during the walk home. Occasionally she kicked at a rock on the sidewalk, with her head hung low. Alex didn’t know what to say. And she was still stuck on Kara saying she’s the crazy one. What did she mean?

Mom greeted her when they shuffled into the house, but Alex just mumbled something about having a lot of homework to get done, and headed straight to their room.

Alex dropped her backpack on the floor and Kara collapsed onto the bed. Alex stayed standing, hands on her hips.  
“We’re not in public anymore, so let’s talk.”

Kara sighed and closed her eyes. “There’s a reason I’m not aging like you Alex. And it has to do with where I go in my wake up moments. It’s also the reason I can’t interact with things very easily. The reason is because I’m not physically here, my body is somewhere far away.”

Alex was confused. “What do you mean you’re not actually here. You’re right there!”

“But to everyone else I’m not.”

Alex stammered a half baked protest. She couldn’t argue with that.

Kara continued, “I’m in a place called the phantom zone, a dark void of nothingness outside of time and space.”

Alex stared at her sister, wide eyed.

“My pod got knocked into it when Krypton exploded,” _Krypton exploded?! Her literal planet exploded._ Alex’s heart broke for her. _No wonder she never talked about what happened. And Clark thinking he’s the last kryptonian makes more sense now. “..._ The stasis systems hadn’t had time to fully kick in, so I’ve been stuck there, drifting in and out of consciousness.” Kara paused. “For 23 years now I guess, if we use Kal’s age as reference.”

_Kara’s been thirteen for twenty three years._

Alex came to a depressing realization. “Wake up moments. That’s why you call them wake up moments. You think when you leave, you wake up.”

Kara looked over to her, teary eyed, and shrugged. “What else am I supposed to think? I was there for 10 yrs before you were born, and I started coming here. Alone, left alone with the memory of seeing everyone I knew _die._ Coming here to earth, to you, was the best possible thing I could have conceived. How could it possibly be real?”

Alex abandoned her standing position, and sat down beside her, pulling her into a crushing hug.

Alex started to speak, but then Kara said something else, “But you. You, were this amazing little baby girl. You had this spunky little personality, even before you could speak. You’re so stubborn and too curious for your own good. You annoy me to pieces sometimes. But you love so deeply, so fully, but let so few in, because you want to spend all your time with _me._ Me, who you claimed as your big sister, who can make you so _angry_ sometimes. But you still put together a big picnic for me when I come back from the zone every time, despite how annoyed you might be. I couldn’t have possibly imagined someone so complex and amazing. You couldn’t possibly be anything other than real. I don’t know what to think.”

Alex was feeling pretty overwhelmed at the moment, but one thought, one hope, came clearly to the surface of chaos in her mind. “I don’t know if we’ll ever have proof one way or another, but I think we just need to have faith in eachother. Trust in the knowledge that we are sisters, and we are both real, no matter what else might not be.”

Kara’s fingers dug into Alex's back, as she clutched her tighter. “ ** _I love you Alex._ **”

“I love you too.”


	4. Vanished (14 yrs old)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kryptonese in bold italics.  
> I had planned on this and the next chapter being in one, but this part ended up longer than I expected and I thought it'd be better to post this part earlier rather than making you all wait.

Alex’s science project was due the next day, so she was pulling an all nighter with Kara. Kara considered it cheating if Alex relied on her too much, so she mostly stayed up as emotional support, and for some proofreading. She was sitting on the bed, practicing how long she could hold a pen as she drew a picture.

They sat in comfortable silence, Alex typing away at her report when Kara suddenly spoke up, “Alex. Something’s wrong.”

Alex twisted around to look at her only to gaze in confusion as Kara’s slowly disappearing body. Kara never had wake up moments out of nowhere, and the terrified look on her face wiped away any notion that this might be normal. She rushed to her sisters side. “Kara? Kara what’s wrong? Why are you leaving?”

Kara just grabbed at her desperately, but her hands fell right through her, and for the first time in her life she couldn’t touch her sister. Kara stared at her hands, wide eyes gazing vacantly. Alex ached to comfort her sister, but floundered in the confusion. Kara’s distraught voice repeated again, “Alex. Something’s wrong.”

If this were normal, Kara would have been long gone by now. It was progressing too slowly. Alex’s voice trembled as she murmured, “I know sweetie. Can you tell me _what_ is wrong?”

When Kara’s hands failed to touch Alex, again, they came up to press on her temples, and she shook her head no. But then, her head kept shaking and wouldn’t stop. Kara’s eyes clenched shut, but Alex sat watching with bated breath as her sister’s arms and legs slowly faded away completely before it progressed up her torso. She felt so _helpless._

Suddenly Kara’s eyes snapped open and looked into Alex’s. Alex was caught in their intensity. “Alex, whatever happens, I want you to know I love you, and you’re the only thing that’s kept me sane since I left Krypton.”

Alex flinched back. “Kara. **_Don’t you dare talk like that._ **You’re acting like you’re dying or something! You’re overreacting. You’re probably just returning to the zone like normal.” She said the words, but they were hard to believe as it continued its unstoppable progress up Kara’s neck. It moved achingly slow, but somehow also terrifyingly fast as her sister disappeared before her eyes, and for the first time she was unsure if she was coming back. Just before it reached Kara’s eyes, she saw tears pool before they were swept away with the rest of her.

.

.

.

Alex was alone in her room.

She stared blankly at the wall, unsure of what just happened.  There was an ache in her chest. Something was different now. She could feel it.

Alex shook off the dread that had come over her. She had homework to do. Kara would be back soon, like normal. _No need to panic about anything other than this due date._ She returned to her work, proofread it herself and presented it in the morning, all without Kara. She managed to last an entire week without breaking down or having a panic attack, but _Kara was always back by now and something’s probably horribly wrong and what was she going to do._ She had no way of contacting Kara or determining her situation whatsoever. All she could do was wait, and wait, and try not to have a breakdown in public.

It didn’t take her parents long to notice something was off, but they didn’t directly confront her about it until almost two weeks after Kara had disappeared. Alex was laying in bed, staring at the drawings Kara had made, drawings of Krypton, her parents, Alex, Alex’s parents. They were far better than anything Alex could ever hope to make. Kara’s love showed through all her works beautifully, as well as her grief.

Only one drawing contained Kara herself, the one Alex loved to look at the most. It was a simple picture, set in Alex’s bedroom, but back when there was a crib and rocking chair instead of a bed. Kara was sitting in the chair singing to a little baby in her arms. Alex. The sketch was rough, its age betrayed by the rough workmanship that didn’t even compare to Kara’s more recent art. But it was Alex’s favorite. A picture of one of the earliest moments of their relationship. Back before Alex could even remember, Kara had been there.

The ache in her heart got the better of her, and she couldn’t keep the tears at bay. _She missed her older sister so much._ It hadn’t technically been that long, only two weeks, but the panic of not knowing what had become of her made it seem so much longer than that since she had last seen her.

An unexpected, but gentle, knock on her door had her shooting up as she quickly wiped away the tears. “What?”

“May I come in?” her mom’s voice sounded through the door.

“Ok.”

Eliza looked concerned as she came into her room, and she sat down beside Alex on the bed. “Sweetie, you dad and I are worried and-” She cut herself off when she noticed Alex’s red eyes. “Have you been crying? Alex, please tell me what’s wrong.”

Alex didn’t know how to answer. It’s not like she could just come out and say her “imaginary” sister had disappeared and she didn’t know whether she was ok. So instead, she just hugged her mom and said, “I don’t know. Just stressed I guess.”

Eliza hugged her back tightly. “You know you can always tell me if something’s wrong, right? Are you sure there’s nothing else going on?”

Alex sighed. “I know Mom. And I’m sure. Just haven’t been getting enough sleep is all. And school’s been really tough lately, but I’m ok.”

Her mother kissed the top of her head before finally noticing the papers scattered across the bed. “Oh are these _your_ drawings? I didn’t know you liked art.” Eliza reached over and picked up a picture of her husband and herself. “These are amazing!”

Alex paled. _She’d forgotten to hide the pictures._ “Oh.” She laughed awkwardly. “Yes? It’s just a hobby, nothing big.” Her panicked voice caused her to cringe. Snatching all the papers up, including the ones in her mother’s hands, she quickly stuffed them into a drawer. “Um, well.” She faked a yawn. “I’m actually feeling really tired now. I think I’m going to go to sleep.”

Eliza looked startled at all the sudden movement, and gazed at her daughter thoughtfully before seemingly brushing off the incident, for now, and saying, “Alright, I’ll let you catch up on your rest. Goodnight Alex, I love you.”

“Love you too Mom,” Alex replied before practically pushing her out the door. As soon as it closed behind Eliza, Alex fell back into the bed with a groan. She grabbed Hobbes from his position by the pillow and hugged him tight.

_Kara, where are you?_


	5. Arrival (14 yrs old)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kryptonese in bold italics.  
> This is such an important chapter, I don't think I'll ever be 100% satisfied with it, but here you go, hope it's ok.  
> (Kara doesn't develop her powers instantly)

It had been three weeks since Kara vanished. That was the longest Alex had ever gone without Kara in her entire life. Her usual disappearances were a few days at most. Alex was lost, and starting to be convinced that Kara really wasn’t ever coming back. She didn’t know what to do without her. Kara was her sister, her best friend. They did everything together. Heck, to her parents, they were the same person. Kara loved tigers, so that meant, to them, Alex loved tigers. Kara loved to draw, and now her mother thought Alex was an artist. The list went on…

Alex had managed to stumble her way through the previous few weeks by focusing solely on schoolwork. She found she didn’t have the will or energy to deal with anything else, especially other people. Her parents tried many times to cheer her up, but everything reminded Alex of Kara. She just couldn’t escape the memory of her.

Alex was sitting in the kitchen when a call came from Clark. Her father picked up the phone, and his smiling face quickly turned serious as he listened to what Clark had to say. Before Alex could figure out what was going on, he rushed out of the room. Alex gaze after him curiously, but couldn’t find the energy to care enough to snoop.

Whatever Clark said ended up causing a strange flurry of activity over the next couple days. Eliza seemed strangely cheerful, reassuring Alex that she would love whatever it was, though they didn’t seem to want to actually tell her what was happening. They thoroughly cleaned the entire house, and the extra guest bed was placed in her room, which Alex was wary about. It seemed obvious someone was coming, but no one would tell her who, for how long, or why.

This was _their_ room, where Kara and her had the privacy to be themselves, and though Kara hadn’t returned yet, Alex didn’t want some stranger coming in and messing up their space. Kara would return eventually. _She had to._ This stranger coming in and replacing her space seemed like disrespect for her sister, and made her disappearance feel more final. _Alex. Hated. It._

After the preparations were complete, her parents sat her down with big grins on their faces, excited to finally tell her the news, and then said… they might be adopting a young girl around Alex’s age. At the very least she would be staying with them for a while. So Alex would be getting a sister.

_NO. Nononono_

_Kara was her sister. Not some stranger. Kara was still out there, waiting to come back. They couldn’t just… just replace her!_

Alex blew up at them before they could say anything else. She wasn’t going to stand for them replacing Kara so soon after she was gone! Even if they didn’t know that was what they were doing.

“You can’t just do that! You- you can’t just force this on me! I don’t want a younger sister! You didn’t even ask me if I was remotely ok with this! You - I - You just- UGH! I can’t even deal with this right now!”

The smiles slipped right off their faces, but Alex stormed up to her room before they could even get one word in in defense. She fell into the bed, punching the pillow over and over in anger. _Gah! Why couldn’t they even consult her about this!_ Once she’d exhausted herself, she slipped her hand under the pillow, where Kara’s diary, also containing all her drawings, lay. She rolled over onto her back, and held it close. She hadn’t succumbed to the temptation to read it yet, knowing Kara would be pissed if she did, but it was the closest thing to Kara she had. Kara’s thoughts and feelings laid inside. This latest upset finally had Alex opening the cover, needing something more from her sister than just the thought of her. But before she could actually read anything, a soft knock came at her door. She snapped the book shut, stuffing it back in its hiding place.

“Alex, I understand that you are angry. We wanted to surprise you. We thought you’d be excited because you were always going on about having a sister when you were little. You’re within your right to be angry that we didn’t bring you into the decision, but she’s coming tomorrow. Please give this lost girl a chance, she’s gone through a lot and doesn’t need you channeling your anger at us through her.”

Alex replied with a terse, “Fine.”

“Thank you. I love you.”

Alex simply rolled back over, face down in the pillow, and silently cried.

 

* * *

 

Alex spent the morning watching Kara’s favorite movie, the Wizard of Oz, and eating a tub of ice cream. Her mother looked on disapprovingly, but didn’t say anything as both her parents ran around the house finding last minute issues to panic about.

Kara said the movie reminded her of her own life, in a strange way. A girl, far from home, stuck in a strange, almost unreal world, finding a new family to help her find her way. Kara also loved singing along to the songs and purposefully annoying Alex with them at the randomest times. One time she started singing Over the Rainbow at the top of her lungs during a math test, which Alex was _not_ happy about.

The movie was almost over when her father suddenly called, “They’re here!”

Alex just rolled her eyes as her parents rushed outside. She sunk deeper into the couch, sticking another spoonful of ice cream into her mouth. She was not looking forward to this. Alex knew she shouldn’t hate this girl before she even knew her name, but she couldn’t help the resentment at the idea of her taking the place of the sister _she already had._

After a couple minutes she heard the group come back into the house. Her father was explaining, “And this is the kitchen, where we store and prepare food.”

_Why was he explaining what a kitchen is._

The next voice had her shooting straight up in her seat, spoon dropping from her mouth in shock. “I know what a kitchen is Jeremiah,” Kara’s voice said with a chuckle.

_Kara._

“Speaking of, your english is amazing Kara! How did you learn?”

“Oh, uh, Kryptonian brains are very good at processing and retaining information, including languages. It wasn’t really that hard to learn.”

Why was Kara speaking to her parents. _How_ was Kara speaking with her parents. They were responding as if they could hear her.

Alex felt herself turning towards the doorway as Clark and her parents stepped in, followed shortly after by _her sister._ Alex gaped at her. Kara stopped in her tracks as they locked gazes. She couldn’t believe her eyes, it had been far too long. Neither of them moved a muscle for a moment, too overwhelmed with emotions. She could see the same love, joy, and relief flash through her sisters eyes, as she’s sure flashed through her own.

Eliza 'introduced' her to Kara, “Kara, meet Alex, our daughter. Alex, this is Kara. She’s Clark’s cousin. She’s also from Krypton.”

Kara waved at her shyly, with a small hesitant smile. “Hey **_Little One_ **.”

Alex broke. She shot up and across the room in an instant, pulling Kara into the tightest bear hug possible. She couldn’t comprehend what was happening, but she knew her big sister was back, and she cried in relief. Kara hugged her right back, with tears of her own.

Alex let out a watery laugh. “You’re here. You’re actually _here._ ”

As they pulled back, Alex worriedly looked over her sister, “Are you ok? What happened?” She paused, “Actually, what’s going on right now?”

“That’s what I’d like to know to be honest,” came her mother’s voice. It startled them, having forgotten anyone else was there. “Honey, are you crying?”

She finally took in everyone else. They all stood there staring at them, baffled looks on their faces.

“Oh, um.” She wiped away the tears. “Um...”

Kara came to her support as she floundered for what to say. “I haven’t exactly been… honest… with all of you. I may have just landed a couple days ago, but I’ve been on Earth much longer than that.”

“What do you mean?” questioned Jeremiah.

“We aren’t actually sure how, but my, I’m not sure how to explain, my, uh, spirit, has been visiting Earth for fourteen years.”

Clark interjected, “We?”

Finally Alex stepped in, “Kara and I. I’m the only one who could see her for some reason.”

“Wait, Kara as in your stuffed tiger?? As in your imaginary sister from when you were little?” her mother exclaimed in realization, “That Kara?”

Both of them nodded.

“But you haven’t even mentioned Kara in years.”

“I pushed Alex to be more careful,” Kara explained guiltily, “ I was worried about people thinking her crazy for talking to someone no one else could see.”

Jeremiah motioned between them, “So you’re saying you two have known each other for most of Alex’s life?”

“All of it actually.”

He pinched his brow. “Explain.”

“My connection to Earth was tethered to Alex. The first time I appeared here was during her birth.”

Her mother collapsed into the couch. “This is insane. Kara is younger than Alex, but you are saying you remember my giving birth to her. And you weren’t even physically there. And Alex was the only one that could see you for fourteen years.”

“Pretty much.”

“You kept this from us, your entire life. I can’t believe you didn’t trust us enough to let us into such a big part of your life.” Eliza sounded so broken at that thought.

Alex felt guilt rush through her, but argued anyway, “Well, to be honest I wasn’t exactly that good at keeping the secret as a little kid. You guys just never believed me.”

They paused. “Fair point," Jeremiah admitted.

There was silence for a minute. What can could anyone even say in that situation? Everyone was feeling a bit overwhelmed by the revelations and could probably use some time to work through what this meant, so Alex grabbed Kara’s hand and started tugging her upstairs. “Well, Kara and I are going to go to our room. She doesn’t exactly need a tour of the house. And you guys obviously need some time to think.” 

They quickly left the tense situation, and Alex pulled Kara into another hug after they made it to the bedroom. When they pulled apart, Kara looked around the room in confusion. “Why’s it look so different?”

“Oh, to prepare for my new sister obviously.” Alex laughed, before returning to serious. “So what happened? I was so worried about you. You’d never been gone so long before.”

Kara rubbed the back of her neck. “Oh yeah, well, it seems the connection broke when I left the phantom zone. And it took a couple weeks to actually travel from there to Earth. But I made it, so here I am. In the flesh.”

“And I’m so grateful for that. I don’t know what I’d do without my big sister.”

“Technically you’re the big sister now Alex.” They both laughed, more from relief than any true humor.

Kara started searching around the room, exploring any changes, when she paused. “Did you take my diary you goober?” She said the words lightheartedly, but Alex noticed how she tensed.

She took it out from its hiding place under her pillow and held it out. “I never read it. Promise.” She blew out a breath to release some tension. “I just needed something tangible that reminded me of you, while you were missing.”

Kara relaxed, and she smiled at her. “ **_I missed you too._ **”

Alex nudged Kara’s shoulder with a returned smile. “So if Mom and Dad are adopting you, that means we’ll be official sisters soon.”

“Eh, we’re already sisters in every way that matters. You’ve got that annoying little sister act down perfectly.”

Alex raised an eyebrow. “Don’t you mean big sister?”

“Oh, ha ha. We both know I’m the more mature one either way,” Kara shot back.

Alex stuck her tongue out at her.

“Way to prove my point.”

Alex simply grinned back, warmth spreading through her chest. Her sister was really back, and they were going to be just fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So after this, the story might get slightly less chronological, mostly just how inspiration directs me, so the next chapter could be Alex at any age, and has a high possibility for Kara's pov of some things.


	6. Remembrances of the Sun (somewhere between 10-14)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a random headcanon/idea and none of this is established Kryptonian culture. This has been sitting on my computer for like a month haha. I finally polished it up to publish. As always, bold italics are kryptonese.

“I’m going to the park for a few hours! Bye!” Alex shouted as she scurried out of the house before her mother caught sight of the random items she was carrying. She had no way of explaining what she was planning on doing with them. _Oh, it’s ok Mom, I’m just helping Kara celebrate an alien holiday, The Day of Iadh._

It was a sweltering summer day, the sun beat down on them mercilessly. _Perfect._ There was a clearing in the woods a relatively short hike from the house, but the area was still hidden and private enough for them. They would often go there to play away from anyone else’s sight. 

There was going to be no playing today though. Glancing over to her sister, she took in her somber face and quiet fidgeting. This was a tough day for Kara every year, but Alex knew celebrating helped her feel connected to those she’d lost.

Finding a good patch of ground, they laid down a large red blanket. Kneeling down together, they pulled out the rest of the items from the bag; few candles, face paint and brushes, and water. Kara tried to hide her shaking hands, but Alex missed nothing on a day such as this. They carefully placed the candles in an arc in front of them, and then clasped hands. Alex gently rubbed her thumbs across Kara’s clammy ones. Shutting their eyes they started the prayer to Rao; to call up remembrance of the Zhaokhir.

As the prayer closed, Alex opened her eyes to find Kara’s still tightly shut. No tears yet. She wasn’t sure what that meant, or whether it was a good thing or not. Alex waited patiently for Kara to release a shuddering breath and slowly withdraw from her memories. When she blinked blearily at Alex, Alex smiled gently. 

“ ** _You ready to start the next part?_ **” she quietly asked, trying not to disturb the solemn atmosphere.

Kara nodded, eyes averted. 

“ ** _Alright._ **”

Picking up the paint supplies, she scooted as closer to Kara. She dipped a brush into dark red-orange and slowly lifted it to Kara’s face. Kara’s eyes slipped back closed. Keeping her hand as steady as possible, Alex worked her way through the intricate designs of Iadh under Rao. They sat silent, save for their own soft breathing, as Alex progressed down to Kara’s arms. 

When she finished, she passed the brush to Kara who dipped it into a new color, a pale yellow. Sitting still, she felt the cool brush glide over her skin, circular motions around her temple, a spike by her cheek. It was relaxing. Turning her focus inward, she dug up memories of her late Grandparents, and of family stories her parents had told. 

They’d died when Alex was young, but she had one distinctive memory of her grandmother. They’d been building a snowman together while Kara stood behind it and spoke in increasingly outrageous voices. Alex had struggled so hard not to laugh, but she’d failed. Instead of looking at her strangely like Alex had expected, Grandma just beamed at her. And when Alex had thrown a snowball right in Kara’s face to get her to shut up, she’d asked what Kara’d done to deserve that. She was the only person who’d ever acted as if Kara wasn’t just imaginary. 

The brush pulled away. _Oh right._ Kara looked less tense than before, but just as somber. Clasping hands a second time, they started the next prayer to Rao, for the strength of the Zhoakhir to protect and guide them. The heat of the sun bore down on them with great intensity. Instead of getting annoyed by the humid warmth, Alex pictured it as her family all coming and giving her one great big hug. The overbearing heat just a sign of their overwhelming love surrounding her. That’s how Kara described it at least. 

Then came time for the long period of meditation. This was something adults did until sunset, while the children often had their own activities on The Day of Iadh. Activities such as exploring the blessings of Rao, or learning the history of Krypton. Though she was still technically a child, Kara always tried to meditate. Alex did too, but she wasn’t very good at it, and it always ended up devolving into Kara telling her stories of her family, or just Kryptonian legends if she couldn’t handle the memories. 

Sure enough, after what was probably an hour, Alex found she couldn’t sit still anymore. Deciding to give up and move on, she started collecting flowers from the clearing and attempted to build a flower crown. Flowers were one of the blessings of the Sun on Earth. Without the Sun, flowers wouldn’t be able to grow and spread their beauty. 

She’d managed to build three wonky crowns when she first heard the sniffling. Turning her attention back to her sister, she saw her wet face. Kara was wiping as tear desperately, but unable to stop the flow. Alex crawled back over to her sister and gently placed a flower crown on her head.

Kara’s eyes shot open wide. Her face scrunched in confusion as she raised a hand to touch the flowers on her head.  “ ** _Flower Crown._ ** ” Alex tapped her own crown on her head. “ ** _Sunlight contained in beauty._ **” Kara stared at her blankly for a moment before recognition flitted across her face. She smiled weakly, tears finally slowing. 

“ ** _Thank you Little One._ ** ” Patting the ground in front of her, Kara invited Alex to sit down. When she did, Kara started playing with Alex’s hair. “ ** _You know, my mother used to do my hair in the mornings. She was so busy with her responsibilities throughout the day. But every morning she took the time to spend it with me and just talk. It always made me feel so special._ **” She spoke in a whisper. Alex had to concentrate to catch all the words. 

Kara told stories for the rest of the meditation period, while also putting Alex’s hair up into different styles. Sunset came too soon. Right as the sun crossed the horizon, the candles were lit. 

Kara picked up the center candle, holding it in her lap. She recited, “ ** _Though Rao must always set, there will always be a light to guide our way. Though loved ones must always leave, we’ll never be alone. Light is never truly gone. Love never disappears. Though we go forth alone, our soul unites us under Rao’s gladsome rays. We are never lost, never afraid. Rao binds us to those we love. He gives us strength when we have none. And in the darkest places, he guides us. For Rao sees all, feels all. His love eternal. Rao protect us so that we might protect others. And we shall rise, a fire in his hearth; burning and free. The memory of those returned to him, our foundation and inspiration._ **” At that, she lifted the light up towards the stars.

The last of the formal traditions finished, they put out the lights, and laid back onto the blanket to stare at the majesty of the night sky. And Kara finally broke down. Curled against her side, Alex held her as she sobbed for the grief of an entire world. She held the girl holding the weight of the memories of an entire civilization alone. And she kept holding her as she eventually fell asleep from exhaustion. Her mother would be so worried, and Alex was going to be in so much trouble, but that was something to deal with in the morning. Alex closed her eyes and joined her sister in sleep.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Iadh - history (I used it more as 'memory'.)  
> Zhaokhir - ancestor

**Author's Note:**

> I wasn't sure how to write the voice of a six year old, but I knew Alex had to be a pretty smart kid, so I hope it worked out alright.


End file.
